Chapter 2

A loud sound startled me awake. Half-rolling, half-falling off the couch, I scrambled up and stumbled to the bedroom. Leone was awake and laying there with his hand over his face. The sound that had woken me was the leg of the small bed collapsing.

“What the hell,” he murmured and rubbed his hand over his forehead, “am I hurt?” Holding his hand over his face he flexed it a few times. “Where am I? Was there an accident? Raf? Michael?”

I stood froze in the doorway, not sure if I should answer his questions or just tiptoe back out before he noticed me. “You’ll be okay.” I said quietly. “The drugs are probably making your head a bit wonky.”

He turned his head and squinted at me. “Drugs?” Squeezing his eyes shut he blew out a breath. “For what?” Sitting slowly, he clutched his head between his hands and rested his elbows on his knees.

I opened my mouth to tell him, and then shut it. Probably not a good idea to explain that part. “Would you like some water or… something?” He continued to sit there, not moving or speaking. “Leone?”

His head snapped up and dark eyes glared at me. He blinked and then shook his head and looked at me again. He’d just discovered the voice that had said his name a thousand times in his head, wasn’t a hallucination.

“I’m a real live girl.” I nodded at him.

The look of confusion faded, and his dark brown eyes locked on me with hatred, very plainly at me. “What the hell is going on?”

A shiver of dread moved down my spine. “I can explain.” I offered, not sounding nearly as confident as I’d hoped to.

Moving cautiously, he turned and swung his legs off the bed. He must have been dizzy, because he paused and didn’t stand. “You can explain why you’ve been fucking around in my head every day?” Hate-filled eyes looked to me again. He examined me from head to toe. “I don’t know you.”

I shook my head, not feeling as if there was anything I could say.

He exhaled slowly and braced his hands on his knees and stood up slowly.

I raised my hands from my side, just in case I needed to buy myself some time if he came at me. Pausing, I looked at them. Why couldn’t I feel my magic? It dawned on me the mages hadn’t used their power on him but had wrestled him instead. Whatever they’d done to this room to keep him here must block magic too. Well crap. I backed up a few feet when he stood to his full height.

His chest rose and fell a few times as he adjusted to being upright and then he looked at me again. “Answers.” He snarled. “Now.”

I stepped back again when he took a few test steps toward me. Looking to my left, I tried to gauge how far the protection worked. “Just-just go slow. If you go down, there’s no way I can get you up.” I motioned up and down my small form. “I don’t know what they gave you.” He kept moving in my direction. I shuffled back further. I was almost past the bathroom door now.

“They? Where are we?”

His tone sent goosebumps all over me, not the happy kind but most definitely the run-away kind. “I don’t know.” I checked to see if my magic was back, it wasn’t. I stepped back again.

“What side are we on?” He glanced to the watch thing on my wrist.

I stepped back two steps. “I don’t know.” Still no magic.

“When are they coming back?”

The drugs must have been wearing off fast, he was at his full height now. At least a foot and a half taller than I was. “I-I don’t know that either.” I felt a familiar tingle in my hands and almost cried in relief.

He stopped and braced a hand on either side of the wall. He probably had the spins. That stance made him look even larger. I couldn’t reach both walls along the hall at the same time. “What do you know?”

Leone looked down at me and I froze, unable to think for a moment. The past few weeks, no months, suddenly seemed like the dumbest plan I’d ever had in my life—and I’d had some pretty stupid moments. “They’re going to trade you…”

He growled out like a wounded animal and smashed his fist against the wall. The sound of cracking plaster and crumbling followed.

Shit.

“Son of a…” He looked back to me. “Move,” he growled between clenched teeth.

I stepped back and hoped, like really, really hoped that Herman guy knew his stuff, because if their magic didn’t stop him, there was no way on earth I was going to even try. I loved Erin, but I was attached to being alive almost more than as I was to her.

Leone took two steps and then purple sparks were flying as he hit whatever they’d erected to keep him contained. “What the hell.” He smacked it with his hand creating more sparks, then glared at me. “Take it down.”

I opened my mouth, then lifted my hands. “I didn’t do it.”

He gave me a blank look. “You’ve been fucking around in my head, don’t tell me you’re not a mage and can’t remove this.”

Frowning. I gave him my own hard glare. “I am not a mage. From what I’ve seen those that are should be dropped in some deep hole and forgotten.”

He made a noise that could have been one of agreement, but I wasn’t sure. “So you’re a telepath?”

My eyes opened as wide as they could. “A what?” I shook my head. “No.” I hugged my arms around my waist trying to stop my stomach from churning with that feeling of dread. “I have magic… skills.” Trying to explain it never sounded right.

Huffing out a breath he put a large hand to his forehead and squeezed either temple. “Are you still fucking around in my head? I can’t think straight.”

“No. No, I-I’m not.” I went to step forward and remembered the crumbling wall. “It’s probably from whatever they gave you. I don’t think a body is meant to get two doses…” His hand dropped, and he gave me an unamused look. “I can,” I motioned over my shoulder, “make coffee or get you some juice?”

He closed his eyes and sighed. “Fine.” His eyes popped open again. “Then you’re going to explain what the fuck is going on.”

I opened my mouth, then closed it and nodded as I backed down the rest of the hallway.

Going around the corner into the kitchen I leaned on the table and dropped my head down. This was a great idea. Leave the expendable tiny woman to deal with the pissed off giant. “You are such a moron, Beth.” I whispered to myself and then straightened up to make coffee.

Carrying the coffee and a bottle of juice I stopped in the hall where he’d hit the invisible barrier. Did I want to go across it?

Leone was standing in the room looking out the window. He gave me a distasteful glance. “Don’t worry, as much as I’d like to crush your throat in my hand I won’t. You have answers I need.”

I didn’t move. “That’s reassuring.” The look I gave him said the opposite.

He waved his hand at me. “Set it on the floor.”

Deciding that was the best solution, I knelt and set it on the floor just inside the barrier. Getting up, I went back to the kitchen and got my cup. When I turned the corner, he stood in the middle of the hall holding the cup. “It’s black.” I said, sitting on the floor.

He took a sip and said nothing for several minutes.

I stared into my cup, not knowing how to start a conversation in this circumstance.

“What’s your name?”

Startled I looked up at him.

He pointed to his head, “you’ve been in my head every moment for weeks, I think telling me your name is the least you can do.”

He did have a point. “Beth.” I answered quickly.

His dark eyes stayed on mine. “Okay, Elizabeth…”

I shook my head. “Not Elizabeth. Bethany.”

“Fine, Bethany, why are we here?” His jaw clenched a few times. “I’m the prize to be traded for that scum Marcus. I got that part.”

I set the cup down and crossed my arms. “And Erin. I don’t give a crap about that freak Marcus.”

He gave me a surprised look. “The Witch?”

I shrugged, “my friend. They told me the royals, or whoever, would exchange one of their brothers for my friend and that idiot she’s been duped by.”

It was his turn to stare into the dark liquid he held. “That’s not going to happen.”

“What? Why not?” I stood up, unable to stay sitting now.

He took a big gulp of the coffee. I winced when he should have by how hot it was. When he lowered the cup, he had a bland expression on his face. “Because the royals, my family, will find me and there won’t be any exchange.”

I snorted, “Sorry to burst your bubble Leone Royal, but I’ve been told no one will be able to track you down.” The look he gave me had me replaying what I’d said to see if it was anything to warrant the strange expression on his face.

“You have no idea, do you?” His jaw clenched.

Crossing my arms, I tried to look bored. “About?” I flung my hand out to emphasize he should continue.

“Who I am, what your involved with, who you’re working with?” He tipped the cup back and emptied it, then bent and set it on the floor.

I just stood there, feeling stupid because he was right. I didn’t know. Most of what I thought I knew was from me fitting the pieces together—which had never been my strong suit. “Okay then, enlighten me.” I snapped, clinging to the hope that I had done the right thing.

He stepped closer but stopped before he reached the barrier. With a smug look on his face he glared down at me. “My last name is not Royal, I am part of the royal family—” he titled his head, “like my father was a king and mother a queen.”

If there was ever a moment I looked stupefied, now would have been it. “You’re royalty, like royalty? I thought it was a family name or gang or…” Oh my God I’d high jacked a prince’s mind!

He shook his head slowly.

I spun around and looked at the doorway to the kitchen, because I just couldn’t stand there with what I knew to be the stupidest expression on my face, with him watching me.

“Do you know what they’re trying to do?”

I didn’t want to answer. I wanted to grab my phone, walk out the door, and never look back. I shook my head, only because I didn’t know where I was or how to get home. “Some crap about bringing down a wall and freeing a nation, or something.” I sighed and slumped my shoulders. “I just wanted to get my friend back and get the hell away from them.”

His quiet laugh was brief. “Well, at least you know you shouldn’t be near them.”

I turned and looked at him. “Ya think?” I rolled my eyes at him. “They all gave me the creeps. I have no idea what Erin seen in them.”

“That’s not what I meant.” He shrugged, “but yes, they’re the sort that should never see the light of day.”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

Crossing his arms over that large chest, he looked at the floor. “Your food to most of them.” He said in a low, scary as hell tone then lifted his chin to look at me.

His eyes were red!

Red!

There was no way he had put contacts in. I would have seen it. I stumbled backwards and almost tripped over my own feet. “They’re not contacts.” I whispered aloud.

He blinked and looked at me again and his eyes were brown.

“What the...” I felt like my eyes were bulging out of my head and didn’t care.

Tilting his head, he studied me. “They kept you in the dark.” He glanced to the bottle of juice and then bent and picked it up. Opening it, he watched me. “That thing on your wrist,” he motioned with his chin, “tells me we’re on my side…”

Something inside me snapped. “Side. Of. What?” I waved my hands around, pacing in a little circle. “No one explains that—ever.”

“Your friend Erin didn’t explain anything? She knew enough. She tried to kill my brothers and I.”

I stopped and looked at him. He wasn’t joking. I closed my eyes. “That stupid staff Marcus gave her.” I whispered. Opening my eyes, I looked at him, without really seeing him, “I could feel the power in it. It was wrong, I told her to burn the damn thing. It was like she was possessed, or something, whenever she was around Marcus.”

“Well she didn’t.” He gave me a smug look, “she’ll never see the light of day again.”

I rushed forward and jabbed him in the chest with my hand. “She better be all right.” I jabbed him again. “I didn’t do all this only to find out she’s dead.” My words sunk in. I covered my mouth and looked up at him, waiting to hear if my friend was dead or alive.

His dark eyes studied me briefly. “She’s alive.”

The breath I’d been holding whooshed out in relief. Then I realized I’d crossed the barrier and turned to go back.

He grabbed my arm and held me, so I couldn’t.

I spun back to him. “You are so lucky I can’t use my magic right now.”

“Oh?” He leaned down so his face was an inch from mine. Anger etched his face. “What would you do? Dance around in my fucking head some more?”

I jerked my arm trying to get out of his grasp. “No, I’d knock you on your ass.”

He snorted and released me.

Like a coward I jumped to the other side of the invisible line again. “Don’t ever touch me again.”

Leone stepped as close as he could without setting off the purple sparks. “After all the time we’ve spent together inside my head, I think that gives me the right to do whatever I want where you’re concerned.”

“I had no choice.” I spat at him.

“You did.” He clenched his teeth. “There is always a choice.”

“Yeah, easy to say if you’re royalty. I’m not that lucky.” I wanted to scream in frustration.

Sliding down the wall, Leone squatted with his back against it. “Can you bring down this barrier or not?”

I looked at him and then the air between us. “Even if I could, you are my ticket to getting Erin…”

He shook his head slowly. “Not going to happen. Accept that now, and let’s find a way out of this.”

I slid down the opposite wall and stared at him.

“Get me out of here and I will take you to see the witch.” His tone was soft, and he seemed sincere. “You have my word.”

I raised one eyebrow. “Your word means nothing to me…”

Reaching, he pulled a chain over his head and held it out to me. “This is my royal amulet. It is mine and only mine, and all of Alterealm knows it.” He raised his hand further. “Take it. My entire family will honor any pact I make with you if you hold that.”

Hesitantly I reached across and took it from his hand. Holding it in front of my face I studied it. It was two swords crossed with a sun on one side and moon on the other.

“I’m the enforcer.” He offered.

I looked at him then back to the pendant dangling in my hand. “And this means you have to take me to see Erin?”

“Yes. You have my word.” He shrugged, “I have several brothers that would kick my ass if I didn’t keep my word after it’s given.”

Just as I knew those with Marcus were insane, something told me Leone was telling the truth. “Okay.” Getting up, I tucked the chain and pendant into my jeans pocket. Backing away from where I had sat, I raised my hands. “You might want to get back.” I shrugged. “I have no idea if I can do this. I don’t do spells with waving my hands around and stuff, like the mages.”

Leone stood up and went and stood in the bedroom door. “Wait, will it work from that side?”

I took a deep breath. “Has to, my magic won’t work if I cross it.”

He nodded. “Okay. Do it.”

Closing my eyes, I connected with what I called my spark. As I opened my eyes, I raised my hands up and watched the arc bounce between my hands. It was like a fire, I’d always thought it was so cool that I could manipulate it enough it would look like an explosion of reds and yellow flames, an energy.

Stepping toward the barrier, I lowered my hands until there were purple sparks combining with my red ones. I pushed and tried to force the barrier to part. My hands started shaking. Stepping back, I dropped them, and the flames were gone. I looked up to Leone. “Move in case these go through.”

He nodded and stepped out to stand in the bathroom doorway.

Taking a step back, I blew out a breath and reached for it again. Bringing my hands almost together in front of my body I moved them, watching the bright ball form. With a quick jerk I sent it at the barrier. It hit it with enough force it sounded like a small explosion. The floor beneath my feet shook. Gritting my teeth, I did it again and this time the blow-back almost knocked me off my feet. I was using a lot of power and knew I’d pay for it, but I gave it one more attempt. This time I did get knocked back and landed on my butt because of my weakened state.

I looked to Leone. “That’s all I’ve got until I recharge a bit.” I huffed out a breath and dragged myself over to lean against the wall.

Leone came back to the barrier and sat down. “I get the knocking me on my ass line now.”

I shrugged. “I don’t know what this is they’ve done, but my blast should have broken though.” I slid over to be close enough to pick up my coffee. Energy was energy, regardless of temperature.

Leone was quiet for a few moments. “Your transporter device, it is just a stabilizer, or do you have buttons?”

I gave him a ‘huh’ look.

“Does it open?”

Setting the coffee down I lifted my wrist and looked at it. “I don’t think so.” I pried on the edges gently and then shook my head. “I don’t see any buttons.” Sighing, I turned my wrist over and undid it and tossed it toward him. “You look.”

He scrambled to his knees and caught it, then gave me a horrified look, concern etched on his face. “Are you okay?”

I sighed. “I feel like a zombie from using that much magic, but after a nap and snack, I’ll be fine.”

He gave me a look and sat down again, glancing from me to the device I’d tossed at him.

“Davis and his idiot friends said,” I made quotes in the air, “‘bad things would happen’ if I took that off.” I huffed out a breath. “Is anything I’ve been told the truth?”

He turned the device over in his hand. “Actually, in that they weren’t lying. Very few people can cross over and survive without wearing one of these.”

I gaped at him. “I could have died taking that off just now?” I put my hand over my fast-beating heart. “Should I put it back on?”

Leone looked at me for a long moment, the silence almost suffocating. Finally, he shook his head. “It’s not necessary, for you.” His blank look turned to a confused one. “Your eyes didn’t change color when you were using your magic.”

I studied him. “And that means?”

“You’re completely human.” He whispered so low I barely heard him.

I snorted, “Uh, last time I checked, yeah.”

“I wasn’t sure, whatever they gave me messed with my sense of smell for a bit.” Dropping the device, he covered his face and started mumbling. “Could this get any more fucked up?” He stood up and paced down the hall. “That’s fucking brilliant. Trap me somewhere with a human female.” He raised his face and looked at the ceiling. “What could I have possibly done to piss off the fates this much?”

I pulled myself up, so I was sitting straighter. “You want me to come back and explain after you’re done having your meltdown?”

He turned and glared at me. “You’re going to have to get help.”

“I have my phone. We can call someone?”

His look brightened, then he shook his head. “I don’t know any numbers, because they’re in my phone. Which is on my horse. Do you have him? My horse.”

I shook my head.

“Can you call someone?”

I raised my eyebrows. “I don’t know where we are.” I motioned in the direction of the kitchen. “I see nothing for miles outside. Fields, a few trees, just nothing.”

Standing there with his hands on his hips he closed his eyes. “How long was I out?” He looked into the room toward the window.

“A few hours.”

He nodded slowly. “Okay, so it’s hasn’t been a full day.” He shrugged. “Porting out probably won’t work. They’re blocking magic. Probably using some kind of cloak too…”

I had no idea what he was talking about as he continued murmuring quietly to himself.

“When are they supposed to negotiate with my family?”

“Two days they said.”

He started to pace. “From now. or is today day one?”

I shrugged. “From today I think.”

“Fuck. Three days. I can’t do three days. I don’t even think I can go two.” He stopped moving. “Shit. I’m screwed.” He glanced to me then shook his head. “You might be as well. Fuck.” He growled his annoyance. “Did they tell you to pick me or was it random?”

I looked at him for a moment trying to decide what his problem was. “They brought me a bunch of stuff to use to try to zero in on one person.” I gave him a hard look. “I couldn’t even get in to any but your head, and that almost knocked me out trying.”

His brows drew together, and he looked at me for a moment, then clenched his jaw. “So they don’t know, it’s totally random, and my dumb fucking luck that it’s me here.” Leone went into the bedroom and stopped in the door with his back to me. “Fuck.” He said again.

“Am I supposed to have any clue what you’re talking about?”

He spun around and smirked at me. “What,” he waved his hand around, “did they tell you to do for the next few days while you guarded me?”

I laughed. “I’m not guarding you.”

“Whatever. What did they say?” He lifted his hand in a regal way to tell me it was my turn to speak.

“To make you food?” I’m sure my confusion was showing on my face.

He looked at the floor then to me. “They used those words?”

I thought back to what Davis had said. “Um, all you have to do is watch him and feed him.”

Leone snorted. “Yeah.” He nodded and walked into the bedroom.

I stood up, then felt light-headed and leaned against the wall. “Leone? What am I missing here?”

Coming back to the door, he gave me a curious look, probably because I was holding up the wall.

I waved it off. “Just wobbly after using magic. I’ll go get some juice, then you can fill in more blanks, because as usual I’ve missed a lot.” I turned and walked to the kitchen. When I got there, I grabbed an orange juice and sat in the closest chair. My head was pounding, and this day wasn’t turning out to be what I’d hoped for. I hadn’t known it was going to be three days before this was over. I thought they’d contact them as soon as they had Leone. I reached up and pulled the scrunchie from my hair and then immediately regretting it when all I could see was my hair hanging in front of my face. Brushing it back, I took another drink, and then grabbed an apple off the table and got up.

He stood right where I left him, looking off into space. “So.” I stopped at the spot of the barrier and looked at him. “What are you freaking out about?” I cringed at my own words. “Besides being held against your will, obviously.”

“Obviously.” He said in a droll tone. Huffing out a breath he walked slowly toward me.

It sent chills up my spine, he moved like a predator.

“Your random,” he motioned to his head, “mind whatever…”

“Mesmerizing.” I supplied for him and got a blank stare in return.

“The problem with your random mesmerizing stunt is, it has landed you here with,” he held up one finger, “one, a younger royal that can’t go three days without feeding.” He put up two fingers, “two, a younger royal that can’t feed off humans.” Three fingers. “Three, your human.”

The only one I understood was the last. “I don’t…”

“That’s the problem.” He stopped just on the other side of the barrier and looked down at me. “You have no idea what you’ve walked into.” Sighing, he rubbed his hand across his forehead. “By mid-day tomorrow I’m going to be,” he paused for a moment, a look of contemplation on his face, “bordering on hard to manage.” He nodded, “by tomorrow night I will not be pleasant to be around… and you cannot cross this invisible ward they’ve placed right here,” He tapped his hand lightly on the barrier, causing sparks to fly. “After that it gets worse.” His brown eyes searched my face.

I shook my head. “Still not…”

“Come over here.” He took a step back.

Raising my eyebrows, I looked at him.

He raised his hands up. “I will not hurt you. You are my only way out of this.”

Biting my lip, I weighed the pros and cons of stepping across. Pro, he was going to explain something, and considering he’d filled in more blanks in the half hour then Davis ever did… Con, I’d be within his reach in case he was some whack-job like the rest of them.

Sighing, I stepped across the stupid barrier and stood in front of him. Something moved through his eyes as he looked down at me, but I couldn’t make out what the look meant. For a second, I thought he looked afraid of me, which was all wrong, and probably me projecting my own fear to think dumb things.

“I’m going to try to explain this, without scaring you.” He paused his jaw stiffened, “you said something about contacts when my eyes changed.”

I nodded. His voice was quiet, almost soothing, as long as I didn’t think of how it sounded when he was angry.

“I’m assuming if you dealt with mages, you’ve seen purple eyes…”

I nodded again, almost mesmerized myself by his quiet tone.

“Okay, mages are purple and there are other eye colors where I’m from… red, yellow, white, green…”

I frowned. “Where you’re from?”

He held up his hand. “We’ll get there in a moment. I’m trying to stay calm and not remember you are the reason I am here.”

My lips formed an o, my eyes wider, I nodded. “Different colored eyes. Got it.”

“Red,” he lowered his lashes just enough I couldn’t see his eyes for a second, then he grasped my arm lightly and looked at me, “like mine are now, means we feed on essence.”

His eyes were a deep, blood red, and appeared to glow as well. My heart raced, but I was determined not to run the other way. I swallowed the lump in my throat.

“Red eyes also come with,” he opened his mouth, “fangs.”

I did try to step back when I saw he wasn’t lying, but his grip tightened just enough that I couldn’t. Fangs. Glowing red eyes and fangs. What. The. Hell.

“Are you good?”

I shook my head and couldn’t find a word to describe how not good I was.

Inhaling through his nose, he cringed like he was in pain and then squeezed his eyes shut. “Don’t move. Don’t speak.” He said softly. Blowing out a breath, he looked like he was trying to stay strong. Which made no sense. After several deep breaths, he opened his eyes and they were brown again. “For years I have struggled against an addiction to human essence…”

I knew I probably looked like a deer in headlights right then, but the pieces were fitting together about him freaking out, and I really wasn’t liking the picture forming in my head. “Oh.” Was the only thing I said.

“Yes. Oh.” He nodded.

“I-I don’t know what essence is—but I’m thinking if fangs go with…bad for me, huh?”

He tilted his head, “in this case, bad for both of us.” He released my arm and put his hands in his pockets. “I don’t want to feed off you…”

I was okay with that.

Rubbing his hand on the back of his neck, he gave me a hard look.

“I sense a but.” I stared up at him.

“I can’t go without feeding for three days.”

I pointed to the kitchen. “There’s plenty of food, will that,” I clasped the apple in both hands in front of my chest, “help?”

He shook his head. “Yes, we eat as well, but that’s not feeding.”

“Oh.” I was fitting more pieces together, I couldn’t break the barrier, he couldn’t feed off me—which was okay on that front, but apparently not. “What happens if you don’t feed?”

“What happens if you starve?” He asked back in the same tone I’d used.

“Right.” He could be ill, and then the trade might now happen. The idea of him dying, of me being here with a dead giant when they came back, that scared me more than the idea of his fangs biting. “What,” I couldn’t believe I was asking this, “what is essence, I mean the fangs…”

“I don’t drink your blood.” He looked bored, which meant I wasn’t the first to ask.

I was relieved to hear that. “Uh, but you still bite… with the fangs…”

He inclined his head. “Yes.”

“Oh.” I wrapped my arms around my waist. “Right, cuz’ why would you have fangs if you didn’t? That wouldn’t be evolutionarily necessary.” I nodded, knowing I was babbling. I licked my lips, nerves kicking in all over again. “So—if as a last resort you had to feed, uh, what…” He wasn’t moving, hadn’t blinked in at least a minute…

Reaching, he brushed my hair back from my neck and then tilted my jaw gently moving my head to the side. Leaning down, closer, his breath brushed against my skin at the base of my neck. “Right here.”

Vampire was my first thought, but he’d assured me he didn’t drink blood. Was I being conned—again?

“Bethany?” He whispered.

The apple I held dropped to the floor. “Yes?”

“Move back across the line.” His voice was shaky.

I immediately stepped back not one, but two steps. When I looked back at him, his eyes were red. He didn’t speak. I didn’t speak, just stood there looking at each other. I could see his jaw clenched and wondered how close I’d just come to being bitten. The fact that it was appealing for a quick second, scared the hell out of me. I swallowed and then remembered my apple, which was now halfway down the hall in the wrong direction. “Essence, got it.” I said quietly. He still hadn’t moved. “I need food. Do you want me to make you something and then we can,” I waved my hand around, “figure this out?”

“Sure.”

That was it, he continued to stand there staring at me. Nodding, I backed up, “I’ll be back shortly.” I turned and went to the kitchen then sat down on the floor against the cupboard. I looked at my phone on the table and thought about calling Davis and telling him to find someone else to come and watch Leone. I didn’t know what had just happened, and I didn’t want to know. If I did that though, then how would I get Erin back? If what Leone said was right, my best bet to get to her was stick with him. So many if’s…

Getting up, I opened the fridge to figure out what to make. I hoped he wasn’t a fussy eater, because I wasn’t the greatest in the kitchen, by anyone’s standards.